title: Tuberculosis of contralateral costo-transverse joints.
abstract: We present a case of multifocal tuberculosis of contralateral costo-transverse joints. Even in countries where tuberculosis is common, extrapulmonary multifocal infection is uncommon. Furthermore, a bilateral, symmetric distribution is distinctly unusual. The index of suspicion for tuberculosis should increase when the patient is from a country where tuberculosis is endemic or when a history of AIDS is present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone and Joint Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Marianacci
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kattapuram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012272:Ribs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology